Compare the2023 Ford Bronco SportVS 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Bronco Sport have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Trailblazer doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Bronco Sport has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Bronco Sport. But it costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Bronco Sport has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trailblazer’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Bronco Sport has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Bronco Sport’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Bronco Sport	Trailblazer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	185
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	190 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	153	401
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	82 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	385/291 lbs.	409/383 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Bronco Sport is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Bronco Sport	Trailblazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	80	91
Chest Movement	.9 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	198 lbs.	199 lbs.
Hip Force	205 lbs.	459 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	144	185
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
HIC	255	337
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	512 lbs.	591 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Bronco Sport’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

The Bronco Sport has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport third among small SUVs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Trailblazer isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 2 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Bronco Sport’s standard 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 44 more horsepower (181 vs. 137) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 162) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Bronco Sport’s 1.5 turbo 3-cylinder produces 26 more horsepower (181 vs. 155) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (190 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder. The Bronco Sport Badlands’ standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 95 more horsepower (250 vs. 155) and 103 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Ford Bronco Sport is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Bronco Sport turbo 3 cyl.	Bronco Sport Badlands	Trailblazer
Zero to 30 MPH	3.3 sec	2.1 sec	3.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	8.9 sec	6.5 sec	9.5 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	5.3 sec	n/a	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	16.9 sec	15.3 sec	17.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	87.8 MPH	82 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Bronco Sport has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trailblazer (16 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Bronco Sport has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Bronco Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trailblazer:

	Bronco Sport	Trailblazer
Front Rotors	12.1 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	10.39 inches

The Bronco Sport stops shorter than the Trailblazer:

	Bronco Sport	Trailblazer
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Bronco Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailblazer (235/65R17 vs. 225/60R17).

The Bronco Sport offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Trailblazer; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Bronco Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trailblazer has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Bronco Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Bronco Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Bronco Sport has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Bronco Sport’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (105.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Bronco Sport is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Trailblazer.

The Bronco Sport’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Trailblazer’s (60% to 40%). This gives the Bronco Sport more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Bronco Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Trailblazer (8.8 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Bronco Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Bronco Sport has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 3.3 inches more rear headroom, 7.7 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

Cargo Capacity

The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trailblazer with its rear seat up (32.5 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The Bronco Sport has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (65.2 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Bronco Sport. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Bronco Sport’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Trailblazer’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Trailblazer is limited to 1000 pounds. The Bronco Sport offers up to a 2200 lbs. towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Bronco Sport uses the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Bronco Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Trailblazer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When different drivers share the Bronco Sport Badlands, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Bronco Sport Outer Banks/Badlands’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches. The Trailblazer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Bronco Sport the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Trailblazer can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Bronco Sport’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Trailblazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Bronco Sport Outer Banks’ standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

The Bronco Sport’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Trailblazer’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Bronco Sport offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Bronco Sport (except Base/Big Bend)’s optional dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Bronco Sport and the Trailblazer offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Bronco Sport Big Bend/Outer Banks/Badlands has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Bronco Sport (except Base)’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trailblazer’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Economic Advantages

The Bronco Sport will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Bronco Sport will retain 59.2% to 61.37% of its original price after five years, while the Trailblazer only retains 46.25% to 46.73%.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Bronco Sport first among small SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Trailblazer isn’t in the top three.

The Ford Bronco Sport outsold the Chevrolet Trailblazer by 63% during 2022.

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